BC Ferries forced to ask for volunteers to disembark after too many tickets sold

BC Ferries forced to ask for volunteers to disembark after too many tickets sold
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Anyone sailing with BC Ferries this long weekend has been warned to expect delays and waits but this was something different.

Passengers on the 7:30 p.m. ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay report that crew had to find 21 volunteers to disembark after they wound up above the maximum of 1029.

“Oh my. First time in my 47yrs on the coast that I’ve had to wait for an overloaded ferry to find 21 volunteers to deboard. Past 1029 max cap,”  wrote News 1130’s Mike Lloyd on Twitter.

“There is a first for everything. Oversold the ferry, now looking for 20 people to voluntarily leave. We are now 30 mins delayed,” Austin Woodward tweeted.

The reason?

BC Ferries responded by saying that an error saw 21 tickets issued for the Queen of Oak Bay at 7:30 p.m.  instead of the Queen of Coquitlam that is regularly scheduled to depart from Horseshoe Bay at 8:15 p.m.

At last check, the Queen of Oak Bay was operating 35 minutes behind schedule.

The Thanksgiving long weekend is traditionally one of the busiest times of the for BC Ferries.

Ben O'HaraBen O'Hara

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